Civil and Environmental Research www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online) Vol 2, No.6, 2012 36 Management of Building Collapse in Nigeria: A Lesson from Earthquake-Triggered Building Collapse in Athens, Greece Oluwatobi Brian Oyegbile 1* Thang Nguyen Tat 1 Festus Adeyemi Olutoge 2 1. Department of Civil Engineering, National Technical University, Athens GR 15780, Greece 2. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200002, Nigeria * E-mail of the corresponding author: [email protected]Abstract Recent scientific outputs most especially those published by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRT) have drawn the attentions of researchers and Nigerian government to the myriad of building collapse and a need for the development of realistic and sustainable approach for the management of building collapse in Nigeria. Since then, a number of different explanations of how and why buildings collapsed in Nigeria have appeared. However, none of these have adequately focused on the most important issue, namely ‘what structural mechanisms led to the state which triggered the collapse’. In this paper, a case study of structural failure in the European monumental city of Athens where European model for the management of building collapse is fully implemented is considered. Structural Analysis Program (SAP) and pi-Design were used for the aseismic investigation and retrofits of the building. The result obtained from the analysis showed that the reduction in the stiffness and resulting friction of the ground floor slabs, and the load bearing columns were the main causes of the building collapse. The European methodology for the management of building collapse proved efficient. It provides the basis for developing countries to develop their own models for the management of building collapse. Keywords: Management, building collapse, structural mechanisms, aseismic investigation, retrofits, stiffness, friction 1. Introduction Over the last 10 years, the incidence of building collapse in Nigeria has become so alarming and does not show any sign of abating. Each collapse carries along with it tremendous effects that cannot be easily forgotten by any of its victim. These include loss of human lives, economic wastage in terms of loss of properties, jobs, incomes, loss of trust, dignity and exasperation of crises among the stake holders and environmental disaster (Ede 2010). On the 11th of August 2010, thirteen people died in a building, which collapsed at Ikole Street, Abuja, while about 35 persons are believed to be trapped in the debris while 10 persons were rescued (Bukola 2010 cited in Ede 2010). Five (5) storey hotel collapses at Adenubi Close Ikeja, Lagos and the 2-Storey Zenith bank building collapse at Mararaba on the outskirts of Abuja are cases of building collapse that occurred in the first half of 2011 in Nigeria. Another case of building collapse (5-storey structure with a Pent-house located at 11 Aderibigbe Street, Maryland, Lagos) was also recorded in October, 2011 (NBRRI 2011). Elsewhere in the United States, a New York City contractor was cited on Monday by federal authorities, who said it did not ensure that a Brooklyn building under construction was stable before it collapsed in November 2011, killing a worker and injuring four others (The New York Times 2012). Wednesday night's collapse highlights the creaky infrastructure of the city that will host the 2014 soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The buildings, one 20 floors high, collapsed in a cloud of dust behind the city's 100-year-old Belle Epoque-style Municipal Theater (China Daily 2012). Ayininuola & Olalusi (2004) opined that every built structure is expected to satisfy the functional objectives of safety, serviceability, and economy. The processes of construction are complex and require the services of trained professionals. They further noted that a high level of skill is needed both in designing and construction. In his research titled “Structural Stability in Nigeria and Worsening Environmental Disorder: The Way Forward” Ede (2010) noted that every structural system is designed to meet some needs and be safe to avoid loss of life, property, and damage to the environment. In a normal set up, failures are not expected within the projected lifespan of structures. But due to the imperfection in the actions of human beings and the existence of so many other external factors that influence the safety of structures, failures do occur. He also observed that the factors responsible for building collapse are complex but a well-structured model designed for the management of building collapse can give a more realistic prediction of those ones responsible for the collapse. In a special report tagged “Why Building Collapse in Nigeria” NBRRI in May 2012 concluded that while providing suggestions and solutions to the basic problem of building collapse, all professionals and academics
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.